Top 5 Best Mirrorless Camera for Video in 2017

If you are looking for some of the best mirrorless camera for video, here, we list out the top 5 best mirrorless camera for video that outperform the rest of the mirrorless digital camera in the market. These mirrorless camera are suitable for outdoor activities; they are designed to have excellent autofocus functions, compact and portable and are optimized for high-resolution models. The mirrorless camera concept is new to a lot of people. Here are the following features that summarise the distinction between mirrorless camera and DSLR:

Features

Mirrorless Camera

DSLR

Mirror

No

Yes

Autofocus

Main Imaging Sensor/ Hybrid

Separate Autofocus Module

Size

Smaller

Bigger

Video

Same means for still mode and video mode

Different means for still mode and video mode

System

Newly developed lens

Single-lens reflex camera

#1 Best Mirrorless Camera for Video – Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GH4

For film maker fanatics, the Panasonic Lumix GH4 is a rare gem which offers a hybrid mode for professional photo and video use. It features unlimited 4k 24p cinematic video (4096×2160), plus 4K 3840×2160 30p/24p as well as a 16.05-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor and a 4-CPU Venus Engine. These modes are essential to capture high-resolution JPEG and RAW stills. The hybrid mode combines photos, audios and video clips with its in-built software – it is definitely suitable for beginners who have minimum knowledge of editing. In another words, a hybrid mode allows you to shoot video and simultaneously pull a 8mp still image of the same moment. We would recommend shooting video in 8-15 second clips in order to optimise the hybrid mode. All these factors combined make the Panasonic Lumix GH4 as one of the best mirrorless camera for video.

We would highly recommend the hybrid mode for a variety of functions like portrait shooting, weddings, sport or outdoor activities and family reunions – the idea of using a hybrid mode is limitless. For instance, for an event photographer, simply switch on the video mode and pull the “still pictures” when everyone has their most natural smiles. Alternatively, for a still photographer, simply start recording the video of the portrait followed by pulling the still images from the video, photographers would not have to regret not clicking the camera at the right moment and missing the best shots.

Down to the Panasonic GH4 specifications, other than its exceptional 16MP high quality images, it is also equipped with superior noise reduction which allows for exposures for up to 60 minutes long. Its maximum shutter speed can reach up to of 1/8000 second. In terms of its video minutes, we have managed to record videos for up to 30 minutes. In terms of its build, it features magnesium alloy body – it is tough and rugged to withstand heavy field use. It also offers good viewfinder and rear screen. The Panasonic GH4 also offers splash proof which means that if offers protection against minimal amount of moisture, water or dust. We advise users to change lens, memory card and battery at dry and secure places. A bonus point is that it uses the same batteries as GH3.

One quibble that we found with this Panasonic GH4 lies with its ease to set exposure when we held the camera to our eyes. You need to take the camera away from your eye to find the +/- button. Our tip is to change the setup to wheel change EV which makes the EV control simpler to control. Also, it does not offer dual card slot – please take note of this factor when purchasing a mirrorless camera. We would recommend our users buying the 64GB Class 10 U3 SD memory cards.

Overall, Panasonic Lumix GH4 is one of the best mirrorless camera for video for its price range. Its hybrid mode is top notch and unparalleled. The enhanced movie capabilities, its capability of capturing highly detailed still images coupled with exceptional shutter life always meet the demands of professional use.

#2 Best Mirrorless Camera for Video – Sony Alpha a6000

The Sony Alpha a6000 is one of the best mirrorless camera for video with an excellent combination of various factors. Overall, its superb sensor quality, excellent autofocus and capture speed are the best two factors that make it to the top 5 best mirrorless camera for video. Straight out of box, you will find receive the starter package – a sony mirrorless camera, manual, lenses and lithium ion batteries. Please note that a specific charger was not included; however the Sony Alpha a6000 is rechargeable via USB cable.

If you enjoy outdoor activities and grow tired carrying the mass of gear for photo shooting, you would love the Sony Alpha a6000. The Sony Alpha a6000 weighs about 3 pounds and has a fixed zoon lens with shooting speed of 11 fps. It has an in-built ultrafast autofocus with 179 AF points (better than Nikon D3300) and its compact and lightweight make it one of the best mirrorless camera for video, making it highly portable wherever you go. It also has a 24MP APS-C sensor which allows any users to capture any activities in high resolution. It is also equipped with ISO range of 100-2560, allowing the users to capture stunning low light photos.

The Sony Alpha a6000 is also extremely user-friendly, we managed to seamlessly shift between different settings ranging from manual, aperture, shutter, auto ISO, bracketed exposure and other settings. Furthermore, with its latest camera application to pair with the Sony Alpha a6000, it allows you to remotely control and share your pictures or videos via smartphone, computer or other electronic devices. If you are a beginner, we recommend you to set the setting to “Intelligent Auto” in order to take fantastic pictures. It is easy and intuitive and we would highly recommend the Sony Alpha a6000 to anyone who wishes to learn to shoot like a pro.

The Sony Alpha a6000 has fabulous ergonomics. In terms of its recording function, the Sony Alpha a6000 again primes itself as the one of the best mirrorless camera for video. The Sony Alpha a6000 features a full HD 1080/24/60P video and other convenient features like tilt LCD, pop-up flash and MI shoe. We tested the Sony Alpha a6000 and were pleased to say that the camera lasted us for about 40 minutes video time. As compared to the canon camera that we owned (which tend to exaggerates colour and made everything look more vibrant than they actually are), the Sony has however outperformed by having smoother focusing in video and decent audio.

We previously received two quibbles – firstly, the Sony Alpha a6000 tends to easily overheat and secondly the battery does not last long. There are few tips to maximize the performance of the Sony Alpha a6000. Firstly, we advise the users to move the LCD screen away from the Sony camera in order to allow the heat of emitted from the camera to dissipate quicker from the back of the camera. This action not only resolves the overheating issue, it also increases the recording time. In terms of the battery usage, we advise the users to turn the airplane mode on whenever you are recording the video. The reason why the battery is drained so quickly is due to the default setting which is preset to “Airplane Mode Off”. This means that the camera is always looking to connect with other WIFI device which in turn drains the camera’s battery. We advise other users to simply turning the airplane mode off whenever you are sharing photos and videos and to turn the Airplane Mode On whenever you are not doing that.

The only quibble that we found was with regards to the camera grip. This camera is perfect for smaller hands. If you have a big hand, you may find it difficult to firmly hold onto the camera.

The Verdict? The Sony Alpha a6000 is truly one of the best mirrorless camera for video. Its unbeatable performance, compact and lightweight coupled with excellent video performance and in-built electronic viewfinder are factors that made all the difference. It is truly a great dollar to dollar investment for outdoor junkies. Best still, at the time of writing, it is selling at an attractive 10% discount.

Sony a7 is one of the best mirrorless camera for video for those who are seeking a full-frame sensor in a compact body and who specializes in low light shooting. It is also suitable for the photographers who have found DSLR to be extremely bulky as Sony a7 features full frame camera within a camera body which is half the size and weight of a DSLR. Amongst the various functions of Sony a7, it features a 24.3 MP full-frame sensor with 14-bit RAW image data recording. It also has an in built sensor range of ISO 100 – 25600, a complex balance of power, gradation and emits very little noise in the process of shooting. Furthermore, it also features shooting speed of up to 5 frames per second, allowing you to track fast moving subject with great precision and speed.

In terms of its video recording function, the Sony a7 prides itself as one of the best mirrorless camera for video. It is capable of capturing full 1920 x 1080 HD videos in an uncompressed format. The recording time for Sony a7 is up to 29 minutes segments. There are many functions built within the camera to produce excellent video results. The camera has impeccable compatibility with digital imaging accessories such as flash and the use of microphone. In addition, its low light video quality is mind blowing; the in-built function of PC remote control which allows users to control a7 remotely from PC to capture video is highly intriguing. The ease of use is further accentuated by good WIFI implementation and seamless connectivity to the web and smartphones. Outdoor fanatics would definitely be delighted by this camera’s image quality and great portability.

The Sony a7 has an awesome electronic viewfinder and is very well constructed. Although there was no manual that came with the box, we found the physical controls of the camera to be extremely intuitive and user-friendly. Other than pairing with the 28-70 kit lens, our bonus tip would be to pair up with the Sony50mm f/2.8 Macro Lens. The a7 has blown our mind away – the a7 is extremely predictable; the lens is unbeatably sharp and flat across the frame. What we achieve in the end is top notch shooting process – the images are crisp and clear that shocked us.

The quibbles that we found from this Sony a7 are that firstly, its battery consumes extremely quickly. Secondly, its JPEG quality is slightly below par as compared to its peers.

The Verdict? Sony a7 is one of the best mirrorless camera for video for its compact and superb quality images. The Sony a7 is also stunningly compatible with a variety of legacy 35mm camera lenses, making it a top-notch selection for video enthusiasts. Best still, it is currently selling at a whopping 35% discount so be sure to check it out while it lasts!

#4 Best Mirrorless Camera for Video: Panasonic LUMIX GX85 4K

The Panasonic Lumix GX85 is undoubtedly one of the best mirrorless camera for video. Not only is it priced reasonably, it also blows our mind in that it produces crisp images and delivers unexpectedly good quality video. Its winning factor definitely lies on its 5-axis built-in image stabilizer to reduce shakiness especially when a user takes handheld sharp pictures in low light. From our experience, the GX85 records high quality 4k/UHD video at 30p or 24p, allowing users to record its best moments with no compromise in terms of performance. We were taken by surprise as the videos are not at all shaky or jittering at all due to its 5-axis stabilizer. The GX85 really went beyond our expectation when we handheld the camera single-handedly to take sharp pictures in low light. A better news for our readers is that such stabilization also works well with 4K video and 4K video Photo modes.

Being one of the best mirrorless camera for video, we must applaud GX85 for standing out on its features and overall appearances. Its ergonomically designed body and weights of the camera both impressed us. Its product dimensions are 1.7 x 4.8 x 2.8 inches and only weighs 1.1 pounds. It consists of a 3 inches screen size, 2x optical zoom, uses lithium ion and has a built in electronic viewfinder. It is also designed to have a sharp rectangular look and badass black, giving it a truly cool look.

There are several other awesome features with this GX85 which make it one of the best mirrorless camera for video. Firstly, its high speed auto-focusing technology is pretty impressive. Due to the high-speed high focusing, the GX85 locks the subject in our video and automatically calculates subject distance; whenever the subject moves, the technology helps to continue focusing on the subject and shifts impeccably smoothly. The second and third features that really complement the overall function of the camera are the Digital Live MOS Sensor and Venus Engine that help produce crisp pictures with minimum noise and the RAW file processing function. Compared to its predecessors, we were amazed by how GX85 has improved – we were able to shoot images with 16MP excellent resolution coupled with bright colours. The Raw-format images also allow us to adjust our images using various options like intelligent resolution +, white balance, contrast, highlight and shadow, etc. A bonus feature for us was definitely the options for us to switch between lenses including the Leica lenses in order to accommodate our shooting scenes.

There are two quibbles that we found from this GX85. One obvious downside of this GX85 lies on its electronic viewfinder. The screen in our opinion is too small that it is not practical for us to use for long-term shooting. Moreover, the battery life of the GX85 only lasts between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes. These two factors are obvious factors that you may consider if you are planning to shoot long videos. Alternatively, we suggest you to buy a backup battery to extend the time to use the camera.

In summary, Panasonic Lumix GX85 is one of the best mirrorless camera for video in our selection due to its in-built 5-axis built-in image stabilizer regardless of the modes you are using. Its classy and light designs are the additional two factors that made us shortlist as one of our top best mirrorless camera for video. However, if you are planning to shoot for a longer video, we would advise to get an additional battery as the battery life only lasts for maximum 1 hour and 30 minutes. It is currently selling at an attractive 13% discount so snap it while it lasts.

#5 Best Mirrorless Camera for Video: Olympus E-M10

It was indeed a tough choice in selecting the last camera that makes the top 5 list of our best mirrorless camera for video! After much deliberation, we have selected Olympus E-M10 as one of the best mirrorless camera for video. Straight out of the box, you will find each of the following items namely a camera, body cap, rubber eyepiece, shoe cover, battery, charger, power cord, USB cable, instructions, warranty card and CD-ROM. The E-M10’s weight is of 0.55 pounds and its dimension is measured at 5.5 x 3.4 x 3.2 inches. The wow factor lies with this mirrorless camera’s five full HD variable frame rates at 60,50 30, 25 and 24 fps. For an impressive recording experience, there is also an in-built flexible and intuitive touchscreeen operation that allows us to change settings whenever we are recording. These combined features went beyond our expectation – we definitely found that the seamless options to move the autofocus point, changing the exposure, aperture or shutter speed highly appealing.

In addition, as a video enthusiast, we always found it hard to share our videos when the size exceeds a certain size. The E-M10 bangs the bucks as one of the best mirrorless camera for video by having CLIPS feature which allows us to shoot short video clips ranging between 1 second to 8 seconds, making it highly portable to transfer via email or share it via Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. This top-notch function makes a lot of room for our creativity as it also allows us to combine the videos shot in any sequence. One additional feature that distinguishes itself from the rest of the mirrorless camera is that it is by itself splash proof. If you were to buy a waterproof case, the E-M10 can even stay waterproof for up to 30 meters underwater.

With the built-in 5-Axis image stabilization, the E-M10 delivers superb results for crisps and sharper images and reduces the problems of camera shake. With the E-M10, we shot many hand-held videos and were amazed by the videos! The single autofocus also works like a charm; we recommend shooting at low sequence speed (L = 4fps) for continuous autofocus to optimise the results. We also like the convenience of the electronic viewfinder which allows us to shoot without taking our eyes off it. To our amazement, it can remarkably adapt to the camera exposure and show what and how our picture looks like. The 8.5fps burst shooting coupled with other functions like focus stacking, Live Time and Live Comp make this one of the best mirrorless camera for video.

Whilst we were impressed by the ergonomics, one quibble that we found lies with the battery. We had to purchase additional batteries in order to extend our video recording time. In addition, the designs of the battery door and port cover could have been done better.

Verdict? The Olympus E-M10 is definitely one of the best mirrorless camera for video for having so many excellent functions within a package. With the built-in 5 axis image stabilization function, amazing touch autofocus coupled with 8.5 frames per second burst shooting, we think that E-M10 is well designed and is unbeatable when it comes to fulfilling needs and budget! At the time of writing, there are only 2 stocks left so be sure to check it out.